Robron: smiles and learning curves
by baisbais
Summary: Things aren't always plain-sailing for our boys, but they're getting there... starting off with a double-date Inspired by the wonderful Domestic Bliss series by hannahfanficrobron /works/6873946), I wanted to do an ongoing series of moments in Robron life, some happy and some angsty. Let's see what happens.
1. Chapter 1

"I can't believe we're going on a double date!" said Victoria, leaning her head to one side and beaming at Aaron, who rolled his eyes affectionately. "Tell me this isn't everything you'd ever hoped for, Aaron. You, me, your bestie, my brother going out for dinner together. Shall I see if Doug and Diane are free too?"

"Yeah, yeah, give them a bell. Are Adam and Robert ever going to be ready?" He shifted from foot to foot, feeling a little uncomfortable in the suit he'd put on that he usually only wore for weddings and funerals. It was dark blue, fit him well, and had lapels that were just made for grabbing - or so it seemed whenever Robert was around. Aaron brushed down one lapel self-consciously, hoping Vic couldn't read minds.

"Oh, they're plastering themselves with aftershave. I swear, you'd think Adam was trying to wake the dead, the amount of that stuff he puts on."

Adam came into the room at the moment - as Victoria had probably known he would, given the wink she gave him.

"Is that right, babe?" he laughed, kissing her on the cheek and rubbing his bristly face over hers. "I'll just have to rub some off on you, then."

"Quit it, you too," said Aaron, snorting at their silliness.

"Looking very smart, mate," said Adam. "You'll show me up – I had to borrow this suit off Cain, and I'm pretty sure he bought it in about 1995. And he made very clear that he'd kill me if I spill anything on it."

"You look gorgeous, hubby."

"Aww, you too Vic. Give us a twirl, eh?"

Victoria spun, and her silvery dress made a little billowy circle around her.

"She looks mint, doesn't she, lad?"

"Definitely too nice to be seen with a farmboy like you," Aaron laughed – even though he and Adam had precisely the same job now, he still called Adam farmboy as much as he could get away with.

"I don't know why we had to go somewhere so fancy anyway," said Adam, glaring at Aaron in mock outrage.

"Oh, it'll be nice," said Victoria. "I like seeing my three favourite men all dressed up. And you know Robert – he likes things to be a bit fancy, doesn't he?"

It was one of the things Aaron both loved and feared about Robert. Being with a man who knew the difference between types of wine and was used to posh hotels, and all that sort of thing, was unexpectedly sexy – but he did sometimes feel a bit out of his depth. He knew that Robert was equally happy to watch a film on the sofa, with Aaron leaning against his chest, circling an arm around protectively – but Aaron also wanted Robert to enjoy nights out in posh restaurants if that's what made him happy.

"Where is Robert, anyway?" said Aaron.

"Still upstairs, mate. He was wandering around in a shirt and boxers when you arrived. Something about needing to iron the trousers again?"

Aaron pictured a half-dressed Robert and smiled to himself. But that was rushing to the end of the night before it had started, and he could wait. It would be quite exciting, seeing Robert opposite him at the table all evening and knowing how the day would end.

"I'll go up and give him a hand in a mo."

"I bet you will, mate," laughed Adam, earning a light slap from Vic – who followed it up with a kiss and what seemed, from Adam's little leap, to be a bum grab.

"No need, Aaron." Robert appeared in the doorway and smiled at him. Aaron almost gasped. He'd seen Robert nearly every day for ages, but there was still something about Robert coming into a room that thrilled him. And that he had that smile on his face for _him_ , for Aaron. Aaron couldn't help thinking of all the months he'd wanted Robert to smile at him like that – casually, openly, lovingly – and thought it would never happen. And now it happened every day.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Robert walked over to Aaron and touched him on the arm. Neither of them felt quite comfortable with kissing in front of others yet, but little touches were their equivalent. "Wow. You look great, Aaron."

"Right back at you," Aaron grinned. And Robert did, in a new suit of dark green. He'd had his hair newly cut, and it really suited him. But most of all, he looked good because he was relaxed and happy.

"Sorry to break into this, lovebirds," chimed in Victoria, "But if Adam is going to eat four courses, we'd better get going."

"Ha! I bet you eat more than I do, babe. You usually do."

"Are you calling me fat?" she said, pretending to be hurt.

"I'm calling you sexy," Adam growled, and Victoria squealed.

Robert wrinkled his nose. "My sister, ladies and gentlemen."

Aaron lent forward and whispered so that only Robert could hear him: "Her brother's not so bad either." He was pleased to see a blush shoot over Robert's face.

"Before we go, everyone – " Robert started.

"Oh lord, he's going to give a speech," Victoria interrupted.

"It'll be your eulogy, if you don't shut up. No, I just wanted to say that I'm paying for everybody tonight. No arguments."

"No arguments from me!" said Adam, leading Victoria out to the taxi that had started hitting its horn. "Bottle of wine each, eh?"

Not long ago, Aaron would have refused the offer – wanted to keep things equal and owe Robert nothing. But now, he knew it didn't alter how Robert thought of him, and Robert wasn't trying to buy him off or make him feel inferior. If anything, it made him feel proud to have a boyfriend who could treat them all. But Robert was perhaps still uncertain about that, and was looking at him with a little concern.

"Is that ok, A?"

The nickname – if it could be called that – sent a frisson of pleasure through Aaron, and he smiled. With Adam and Victoria squabbling over who ride shotgun, he didn't need to whisper this time.

"I'm sure I'll think of some way of paying you back," he said, and Robert grinned. "Maybe twice, if you're lucky."

He walked out to the taxi, aware that his boyfriend was looking at his ass as he went. He turned and looked over his shoulder. "Coming?"

"You bet!" Robert jogged the few steps to catch up, and – while keeping his eyes straight ahead and calling out to Adam and Victoria to settle down, gave Aaron a quick smack on the butt. "Something to keep you going til later," he said quietly, and Aaron laughed happily. This was going to be a great evening.


	2. Chapter 2

"It _is_ fancy, isn't it?" said Victoria, after the waiter had seated them at a circular table. There were silver candlesticks and expensive-looking cutlery on top of a thick white tablecloth, and even the carpet they'd walked on felt luxurious.

"It even makes your kebab van look common," joked Robert.

"Kebab van? Fusion street food van, if you please." She glared at him, then turned to the group with a swift change of topic. "So – who was the waiter flirting with? Me or him?" She nodded towards Aaron.

"Nah, Vic, I reckon it's Adam who's got lucky there." Aaron said, smiling hesitantly. He really did feel out of his depth in this restaurant. Looking down at the cutlery, he was rather dreading knowing which to use first. He couldn't even tell which side plate belonged to him and which to Robert or Adam, who sat either side of him.

"Excellent, mate!" laughed Adam. "Good to know I've got options, if Vic doesn't put out."

"Hey!" Robert grimaced. "Do try to remember that that's my sister you're talking about, and as far as I'm concerned she has _never_ had sex and never will." Victoria stuck her tongue out at him – making Aaron feel all the more embarrassed. That sort of thing was funny in the Woolpack, but anybody could see them here, and he wanted everybody on their best behaviour so that Robert didn't feel let down.

"Robert, pal. You're the only person around this table who hasn't slept with Victoria." said Adam.

"Oh great! I love being reminded that Aaron has had sex with my sister."

"If it helps, he's had sex with my sister too!"

Robert and Adam were laughing, completely at ease in their surroundings – though when Robert realised that Aaron wasn't laughing, he gave him a quick concerned look. An 'is-everything-ok?' little frown that gave Aaron a little glow. He nodded quickly, and tried to smile naturally. He forced a quick laugh that probably didn't fool Robert. Aaron just hated feeling out of place, especially when he wanted to prove to Robert that he wasn't just a dirty little grease monkey. Deep down, he knew that Robert didn't think of him like that anymore – but having been a bit-on-the-side for so long had left a mark on Aaron's self esteem that only time would heal.

Robert subtly put a hand on Aaron's need and rubbed it reassuringly, giving a quick wink to him at the same time – so quick that nobody else would have noticed it – and kept talking about what Nicola was like to work with, without pausing. Aaron put a hand on top of Robert's, and felt the innocent thrill of closeness in a public place.

"You think Nicola is a nightmare?" Victoria was saying. "Just try working with Marlon when he's in one of his moods. There are actual _knives_ there, mind."

"You give as good as you get, babe," said Adam. "Marlon's terrified of you deep down."

"Well, you never know quite what a Dingle will do, do you?" Robert said, looking at Aaron with his mouth kept open in that way that always reminded Aaron of a happy labrador. "Though I don't let this one near knives."

Robert's eyes quickly turned to horror. "Oh – I didn't mean – "

"Nah, it's all right, I know you didn't," said Aaron softly. To cover their embarrassment, Adam started reading aloud from the menu. Victoria joined in enthusiastically, explaining how _she'd_ have served all the things on the menu. Most of it didn't mean much to Aaron; Robert gave his knee a last pat and they both took hold of their respective menus.

"What's this?" Aaron asked, pointing at the word 'chateaubriand' on the menu. Robert lent over to read it, leaning perhaps nearer than he needed to – giving him the excuse to rest his jaw on Aaron's shoulder for a moment.

"Steak," said Robert simply, then gave Aaron's shoulder a quick kiss.

"You too! Remember where you are," chastised Victoria with a grin. "Such filth!"

"Oh shut up you," laughed Robert. "Are you guys ready to order? I'm sure you can find something twice as good as anything you'll serve in your keb- - sorry, your fusion limo, or whatever you're calling it." Victoria narrowed her eyes and nodded.

Watching the brother and sister bicker was oddly heart-warming to Aaron, who'd grown up effectively as an only child. Even now he felt more like a father figure to Liv than a brother, but he hoped they'd get more like Vic and Rob in future.

"You ready, A?"

"Yep – if that's steak, then steak sounds good."

As if by a sixth sense, the waiter knew they were wanting to order, and came over. All was well as Adam, Victoria, and Robert chose their meals from the menu – all of them picking different things. And then the waiter turned towards Aaron, eyebrows raised inquisitively.

"I'll have the chateaubriand, please," said Aaron.

Victoria snorted, and Adam laughed out loud. Aaron had pronounced _chateaubriand_ incorrectly in about four ways, starting with a syllable that sounded like 'chat' and ending with a hard '-and'.

"It's French, mate!" Adam said, still laughing. "And you blinkin' lived in France for years!"

To do the waiter credit, he smiled politely and repeated the word correctly, then walked smartly away from the table. But Aaron didn't see him. He flushed bright red, and stared at the table in furious embarrassment. He didn't dare look at Robert, who must feel so ashamed to be sat next to somebody so uncultured.

He tried to take a drink of water, but in his awkwardness knocked the glass over, spilling the icy water straight into Robert's lap. Robert jumped with a small shout, and Aaron couldn't stand it a moment longer.

"I'm – I'm sorry, this isn't – " He stood up quickly, pushing his chair out, and half-ran over to the front door and outside.

All three at the table rose to follow him.

"No, you guys sit down," Robert said firmly, and he went outside as fast as he could.

"Aaron? A?" He looked left and right, before spotting Aaron leaning against the wall just down the road. Robert jogged over and leant next to him. Aaron wouldn't look at him. Tears were forming in his eyes, as they always seemed to do whenever he felt any strong emotion of any variety. "You ok, A?"

Aaron nodded silently, wiping his eyes furiously with his fists.

"C'mon. That whole let's-be-honest thing counts for tonight too." Robert nudged Aaron, shoulder to shoulder. "What's up, Aaron?"

"I just didn't want to embarrass myself," muttered Aaron, still not looking up at Robert.

"You're not the one standing in the street looking like he's wet himself!" laughed Robert.

"That's exactly what I mean! I ruined your special night, after you went to all that effort to organise it. I've – I've let you down."

"Aaron – look at me, A," Robert looked him intently in the eyes, eyebrows raised, a flicker of a smile around his lips. "Do you know why tonight was special?"

Aaron made a gesture back towards the restaurant. "All that fancy food, and the waiter and the decorations and that."

"Nope," Robert shook his head and took Aaron's hand in his before he had time to think about it. "It was special because I was there with you. And Adam and Vic, sure, but mostly because I got to sit next to the most handsome man in the whole place and say 'This boy is _mine_ '."

Aaron smiled bashfully, looking down again. Gently, Robert put his hand under Aaron's jaw and pulled his head back around to look straight at him.

"Not just the most handsome man in the room, but the bravest, the most loving, and – above all else – easily the worst at French in the whole place."

"Now you're being soft," Aaron mumbled, grinning despite himself. He lent forward. It wasn't clear which of them initiated the kiss – they both seemed to lean in at the same moment – but they were certainly sharing an intimate kiss in the street; their first time kissing in public, without worrying who'd see them.

"Now, are you going to come inside and make me the proudest guy in the whole place?"

"No," said Aaron. Robert looked a little surprised, as though he were quickly rethinking his tactics. Aaron continued: "You'll have to settle for second proudest guy, I'm afraid. I've taken the top spot." He kissed Robert on the lips again quickly, and led him back into the restaurant.


	3. Chapter 3

The rest of the meal went well. Once the food arrived, Aaron felt more at ease – and they laughed and joked through the two courses they ended up ordering. As Robert said, he might have recently had a windfall, but _nobody_ could afford three courses for four people in this restaurant, particularly if Adam kept insisting on asking for more baskets of bread.

"Oi, Sugden," protested Adam through a mouthful of focaccia, "You've got the dough for this dough, so calm down."

Victoria rolled her eyes and Aaron wrinkled his nose while laughing, showing at once that he was amused _and_ that he thought Adam was being ridiculous. Adam shrugged. "This one never cooks for me anymore, so I have to get in food when I can, mate."

"Hey! I cook all day for Marlon, and in the evenings I run my –"

"Fusion street food van!" said everybody in unison, and they all burst out laughing. Aaron wondered for a moment if they were causing a scene, but he no longer cared. It was so wonderful to all be laughing together. After all that the four had been through over the past year – the trial, Robert being shot, Adam's strife over Johnny – it felt as though they all deserved to have a bit of happiness for a while.

Aaron caught Victoria's eye. Adam and Robert were their respective partners, of course, but they were the two who loved _everybody_ around this table, one way or another. They were the ones who'd had to try and maintain their friendship when Robert had been the biggest obstacle – because, of course, Victoria had never stopped loving him even when Aaron thought he and Robert would be enemies forever. What a strange thought now! His reaction had only been that strong, of course, because of how, deep down, he couldn't shake how much he loved Robert. Victoria nodded at him, and they exchanged a glance of understanding. This was what they, particularly, had wanted: the four of them together.

"Are you going to finish your dessert, A?" Robert lent over and looked pointedly at the half-finished cheesecake on Aaron's plate. He was so full after his steak that he couldn't eat anymore – but he wasn't going to let Robert have it that easily.

Swiftly, Aaron scooped up a piece on his spoon and moved it towards his mouth, enjoying the fake sulky frown that Robert pulled. At the last moment, he thrust the spoon towards Robert instead, taking him by surprise. But Robert wasn't going to miss a piece of cheesecake – he swallowed it quickly, and made as though he were going to give Aaron a cheesecakey kiss on the cheek.

"Oi, gerrof!" laughed Aaron, pushing him away – but simultaneously gave him a look that showed how tempting it was to abandon decorum completely and… well, see what happened.

"That's not what you say when you're at home," said Robert, winking – and, of course, Adam and Victoria groaned.

"Can we just agree to keep all flirting to a complete minimum?" said Victoria.

"Ooo, she's hot when she's strict!" said Adam, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Save some of that for later, Vic."

"See!" laughed Victoria, seeing Robert and Aaron's reactions, "You don't like it either, do you?"

"Let's all be on our best behaviour, eh?" said Robert. But as he said it he put one hand on Aaron's thigh, dangerously near the top of it, making Aaron swallow suddenly and dart Robert a swift excited look. Robert responded only by moving his hand still further – and kept talking to the others while he was doing it. "Do you two want anything else, or shall I settle up?"

Robert took the opportunity of Aaron being otherwise occupied to dart in with a spoon and eat the rest of his abandoned cheesecake, gave Aaron's inner thigh a light slap that Aaron was sure must have been audible to others – and before long they were in a taxi back to Emmerdale.

"Aw, that was a fab night, gentlemen," said Victoria, stumbling a little in her heels as she walked down the pathway to her house. "What now? Heading to bed or time for a nightcap?"

They all agreed that another drink or two couldn't hurt – bed was tempting, but it would wait. Once they'd opened a few beers, Victoria suddenly jumped up with excitement.

"You know what we should play?!"

"Two words," said Adam, "Strip. Poker." He earned himself a light slap on the side of the head from his wife, though Robert jokingly started to unbutton his shirt.

"No, you idiot – Scrabble!"

Victoria was greeted with surprised silence, but it didn't dent her enthusiasm.

"It'll be fun! I'll go and grab the board."

She dashed out of the room before anybody could protest – and, truth be told, they were all enjoying her excitement too much to try to stop her anyway. At the same time, they weren't going to miss the opportunity for a bit of light-hearted complaining.

"Scrabble?" said Aaron. "I haven't played Scrabble since… well, I don't think I've ever played Scrabble."

"Don't look at me, pal!" said Adam. "I don't think I could even spell 'Scrabble'. Hannah used to love it, though. She'd make me play it every now and then, but I reckon it was only cos she enjoyed making me look stupid."

"Doesn't take much!" laughed Aaron.

"You're staying very quiet, Sugden," said Adam. "Do you have a secret Scrabble fetish or something?"

"Ha! No," Robert said, "But we did use to play it with Dad. He taught Vic how to play when she was still really small. Cleverer than the rest of us put together, she was. Andy was never much of a player, of course."

Victoria had unearthed the board from somewhere – the box was still dusty, and she had to give it a quick brush with her sleeve. "Shall we play in teams?" she said brightly.

"Yes!" said Adam, folding his arms behind his head and leaning back. "I'll be a sleeping partner."

Aaron scowled at him affectionately.

"I guess that's fair," said Robert, starting to look like he meant business. "This way you've each got a Sugden on your team. And when Sugdens play Scrabble, they play to WIN."

"That's right!" said Vic, sitting back next to Adam and putting her legs over his, so that she was at right angles to him.

Needing to look at the same tile rack of letters brought each couple closer together – Aaron and Robert had their legs pushed against each other, and Robert casually put one arm around Aaron's back. As the game went on, he started rearranging the letters to make various words or parts of words, quietly pointing out different combinations to Aaron. But Aaron could only stare at Robert's face at close quarters, loving how intensely invested Robert was in the game. It was adorable, to see his man this competitive in a board game.

"You," said Robert, looking back at him when he realised Aaron's attention wasn't on the letters, "are being no help at all."

"You're doing better than me," said Victoria, nodding towards Adam – who had, by this time, fallen asleep.

"I've got a great word," said Aaron suddenly, grabbing the bag of letters and starting to pull them out. "Well, three words."

"Oi! That's not how you play!" protested Victoria – but he continued, and once he'd picked out eight letters, he put them down along the bottom of the board.

"Awww!" Victoria said, head on one side, when she'd realised what the letters spelled out. But Aaron and Robert could barely hear her; they only had eyes for each other.

"Well that's not how I thought you'd say it," said Robert contentedly. "But – "

"I know," said Aaron softly.

"Let me say it again!" said Robert, oblivious to his sister who was now taking photos of the board and the boys on her phone. He looked into Aaron's smiling face. "I love you too."

"I should hope so!" said Aaron, and, leaning forward, gave him a long, happy kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

Aaron woke up, bleary-eyed. He recalled the previous night after a moment or two, and grinned broadly to himself. Not for a moment did he regret declaring his love for his Robert – and he certainly didn't regret the rest of the night. Aaron had always thought that sex was either frantically hot or tender and loving. Last night had proved to him that it could be all those things at once. It just took the right person.

He turned over and looked at Robert, who was still sound asleep, mouth a little open. He looked so peaceful and content. Aaron brushed Robert's hair back a bit; he usually had it slightly spiked up at the front now, but the night's sleep had pushed it down into a little fringe. In his sleep, Robert wrinkled his brow and moved his lips as though he were going to say something – but no sound came out. Grinning, Aaron lent over and kissed Robert on the forehead. Then he couldn't resist – he moved further down, and planted a kiss on Robert's lips. That _did_ bring him out of sleep – and straight into a longer kiss.

"Wow," said Robert blearily, when they finished. "That was an amazing way to wake up."

"I can't help it if you're irresistible, Suggers."

"Don't call me that," Robert said, in a cross voice that he didn't really mean.

"You call me 'A' – which I love, by the way – and I can't call you 'R'. It makes me sound like a pirate."

"You're a very sexy pirate," mumbled Robert, obviously starting to go back to sleep.

"Hey mister, we should get up!" 

"Why?" said Robert, reaching over and grabbing hold of Aaron's bum. "It'd be much more fun here."

Aaron smirked. Somehow Robert casually putting his hand on Aaron's butt felt sexier than steamy, rushed encounters in the barn or bathroom ever had. This was two boyfriends knowing that they had all the time in the world, and feeling completely comfortable around each other. Their bodies were no longer foreign territories to be explored, but familiar and united.

He pulled Robert's face towards his and kissed him again, while Robert let his hand rest on Aaron's bum still.

"You're not wearing any underwear," said Robert, suddenly realising. "Am I?" He used the other arm to lift up the covers and look down. "I see – nope!"

Aaron sniggered and indicated the pile of clothing scattered across the floor.

"Ah. Yes, it's all coming back to me now," Robert snuggled his head into the gap between Aaron's head and shoulder. "We should play Scrabble more often."

They stayed there for a few minutes, before Aaron decisively gave Robert's head a kiss, ruffled his hair, and leapt out of bed.

"Sorry, Suggers, but I need to get ready. I told Adam I'd help him at the scrapyard this morning."

Robert's grumpy face was amusing to look at.

"Fine, if you'd rather smash up cars then stay in bed with me. But I can at least enjoy the view."

Aaron laughed and shook his head, but he didn't hate that Robert was watching him as he got dressed. He even deliberately put on a t-shirt before he put on anything below the waist, surprised by his own flirty behaviour. Robert's evident and continual appreciation was helping restore much of Aaron's once-fragile self esteem about his body – scars and all.

Once dressed, Aaron pulled the duvet off Robert – enjoying the view himself for a moment – and left him complaining about what sort of boyfriend he'd ended up with. But while Aaron was still walking down the stairs, he heard Robert calling out, with a note of earnestness entering his voice.

"I love you, A!"

"I love you too," Aaron called back. Now he'd said it once, he was more than happy to keep saying it forever. He knew how much it meant to Robert to hear it, too. And that felt wonderful. He smiled happily as he ran down the rest of the stairs and out the front door.

Adam and Aaron worked hard at the yard all day, the sun not quite hot enough to make the job unpleasant. Indeed, second to spending the day under the covers with Robert, Aaron couldn't think of many places he'd rather be – getting work done, spending time with his best friend, and having enough periods of silence that he could relive the previous evening in his mind.

Halfway through the day, Adam stopped what he was doing and leant on the roof of the car they were dismantling.

"So, lad, I keep waiting for you to bring it up and you haven't. I guess old Uncle Adam will have to be the one to do it."

"Sorry, mate, but you're making even less sense than usual."

"Last night! After I, er, got too caught up in the Scrabble game."

"Fell asleep, you mean, you lightweight!" 

"Whatever!" Adam laughed, "Vic tells me that you didn't spend the rest of the evening flicking through the dictionary."

Aaron grinned and looked down, embarrassed.

"Well?!"

"It sounds like you already know what happened, mate. That wife of yours isn't one to keep her mouth shut."

"True, true – she did say something about the 'l' word."

Aaron grinned again, and this was matched by a similar look on Adam's face. Adam reached across the car and gave Aaron a light punch on the arm.

"Mate! That's excellent!"

"Yeah," admitted Aaron. "It's pretty great."

"Look at us, both with Sugdens."

"Thank goodness neither of us ended up with Andy," joked Aaron.

"Or Diane!"

"Yeah, I think we picked the best ones."

He loved how supportive Adam always was. Adam couldn't have looked happier if it was his own life that had suddenly taken such a great turn for the better. Then again, that was what friendship was for, of course. He remembered Adam's wedding day, and how delighted he'd felt at seeing his two best friends tie the knot. There was a selfless joy to it that was intoxicating and uncomplicated.

"So, you're completely sure of him, mate?" said Adam. Aaron had heard the same sort of words from Chas over and over, but Adam asked them without the overtones of concern and disapproval that Chas still used from time to time. Rather, Adam seemed more than willing to accept that Robert was the man Aaron believed and wanted him to be – which meant the world to him.

"Yeah," said Aaron simply. "We neither of us have perfect pasts. But it's the future that matters. And I know that he would never hurt me or let me down – and I wouldn't him either."

"You're getting soft, lad!" laughed Adam, who then ducked to avoid the small piece of plastic Aaron threw at him in retaliation. "But, nah, I'm really pleased for you lad. It's about time."

Aaron nodded.

"Shall we get on with this motor, then, or did you have any more questions?"

"Just one, actually," Adam laughed a little awkwardly. "You know how we love Vic, and she's the best?"

"What?"

"And how Robert loves her too?"

"Adam. What has she done?"

Sheepishly, Adam pulled his phone out of his pocket and showed Aaron the photo on it. It was a picture of Aaron and Robert kissing, just after Aaron had spelled out 'I love you' in Scrabble tiles. They hadn't even realised she'd taken it.

"Are you ok with the fact that Vic put this on Facebook?"

Aaron was about to reply, when Adam's phone vibrated with a message from Victoria. Without meaning to pry, Aaron could hardly avoid reading it:

 _Have you seen Robert? We're supposed to be having lunch together, and I can't find him._


	5. Chapter 5

"Calm down, mate, I'm sure there's no reason to panic," said Adam. "He'll have forgotten or something."

"Yeah," said Aaron quietly, trying to look like he believed him, even though he couldn't miss the note of uncertainty in Adam's voice. "It'll be something like that."

There was a pause which neither of them wanted to fill – though neither of them felt they could get on with work either. They just stood there, either side of the car, waiting for the other one to mention the connection they were both thinking. Finally, Adam did:

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the Facebook photo, would it?"

Aaron kicked the tyre – not quite angrily, but out of a sort of frustration that he didn't know the answer to that question.

"It's not like he's been hiding your relationship," insisted Adam. "And Vic wouldn't have posted it if she wasn't sure you'd be ok with it."

He looked back at his phone. The picture had received a few likes, and one comment ("Fit", from Kerry), but it had hardly caused a huge stir.

"I dunno," said Aaron. "It's one thing family knowing. It's another when it's – I dunno – people from his school or from his old job or something. I've been so caught up in the trial and – " He had to stop for a moment, as his voice wavered a little, but he took a breath and continued, "and us getting together, that I hadn't really thought about how he was coping. Maybe he wasn't ready?"

Adam wanted to reassure his friend, but Aaron could tell by his expression that he was also uncertain on that topic. He was frowning in concern, obviously trying to communicate a reassurance with his eyes that he couldn't honestly put into words. Aaron kicked the tyre again, this time more forcefully.

"I've been such an idiot. I've not thought about him at all, have I?"

"Mate, he loves you," Adam said. "He's not hiding it. You're always flirting. He's with you in the pub, in that restaurant…"

"But we don't…" Aaron trailed off, embarrassed. "I mean, you and Vic are all over each other in public. We don't – well, we don't do any of that."

"That's just not who you are. Who either of you are. It doesn't mean that Robert's, I dunno, fled the country or anything. C'mon mate, it'll be fine."

Suddenly Adam's phone, still in his hand, started ringing and vibrating. He and Aaron realised together that Victoria would still be waiting for a reply.

"You'd better get that," said Aaron.

"Hey babe," said Adam, answering and half-turning away from Aaron. He obviously wanted to make sure that his face didn't give anything away if it were bad news, though Aaron was still studying his expressions for clues. "No Vic, we've not heard from him. Yeah, Aaron's here – no, he hasn't either."

For the next couple of minutes, all Adam said was 'yeah' and 'no' at intervals, darting quick looks at Aaron every now and then. Aaron started shaking his head to himself, lips pursed.

"Yeah, babe. No, we'll call if anything happens. Of course. Yeah, love you too."

Adam turned back to Aaron.

"Look, don't get alarmed. He's not answering his phone, he's not been to work, and he's not at ours or in the pub – "

Aaron swore under his breath and stuck his hands in his pockets, trying to stay calm.

"But his car is still there, and I can't see Rob getting a bus, can you? So he can't have gone far"

Aaron smiled despite himself. No, Robert was unlikely to hop on the 35 to Hotten. And he definitely wouldn't be getting a lift from the Barton brothers and their unlikely taxi firm.

"Let's head down the road for dinner, and – well, he'll turn up soon. It won't be anything drastic."

They walked down to the village together in silence. Aaron was running over last night and this morning in his head, trying to think of any explanation. Robert hadn't mentioned going anywhere, had he? Not a dentist appointment or something boring like that? Aaron kicked a stone into the hedge. But what else could have happened, and why was he so anxious? They'd been so happy last night. And surely one Facebook photo wouldn't have thrown Robert too much?

But Aaron had to admit that he wasn't sure of that. He *felt* like he knew Robert in and out now – but he'd felt that before. True, there was a much deeper basis to their relationship now, and a trust and love that replaced all the furious uncertainty of the affair – but he couldn't shake the idea that Robert might do something unexpected. He'd done it by paying Ryan to lie. He'd done it by destroying Gordon's letter. Aaron knew the impulses behind those actions was love and protection, of a variety that made him feel simultaneously deeply moved and deeply frustrated – but also it showed that he didn't yet know how Robert would always respond. But, damn, he loved him. He loved every inch of his tall, handsome, funny, flirty, sexy, impulsive, determined, ambitious, clever, loving boyfriend.

"What you thinking, Aaron?"

Aaron blushed a little about quite what he'd been thinking – which was the final sight of Robert's extraordinary naked body on the bed that morning, when Aaron had pulled the duvet onto the floor, and the thought he'd had at the time that he needn't stare at it for too long because it would always be available for him to see and love and know… Instead, he just grunted "Nothing" – which appeared to be the answer that Adam had expected.

When they got to the pub, Victoria was looking impatient and worried.

"You've not heard anything from him?"

"No, babe," said Adam, giving her a hug. "But I'm sure it'll be – "

"Do you think it could be that stupid Facebook photo?" she said, anxiously. "I honestly didn't think he'd mind."

Adam looked at Aaron and then back at his wife, wanting to be both honest and reassuring. Aaron didn't want to make things awkward, and also didn't want to stand around doing nothing.

"I'm gonna go for a walk," he said quietly. "I'll keep phoning him, and let you know if I get through."

"I wouldn't bother," said Victoria. She held up Robert's phone. "It's turned off, and I found it on our kitchen counter."

"Well, that's good, isn't it?" said Adam. "He won't have gone for long without his phone."

Aaron didn't have anything useful to say to that. He just nodded thoughtfully and turned to leave.

"Have you had any dinner?" called Victoria after him.

"Not hungry," he mumbled, not caring whether or not they heard him.

He walked aimlessly around the village for a while. He wasn't exactly looking for Robert, but standing still felt so useless. And walking meant he had time to think about… well, about everything. About how Robert had changed, and how he had changed; how, despite everything, they had learned to love and trust each other. And about where their lives might go in the next few years. And how wonderful it was that he could think in terms of years. Surely this blip, whatever it was, wouldn't get in the way of that.

Suddenly, he could hear Robert's voice. It was faint, but he could definitely hear it. It wasn't until he heard that familiar sound – reassuring, warm, so articulate where Aaron had never been able to use words as easily as he'd wish – that Aaron realised quite how worried he'd been.

And it was coming from down by the church, down the hill. where it couldn't be seen from the road. Aaron walked a bit closer, so he could hear but not be seen – he didn't want to interrupt whatever this was.

"But I haven't just come here to sit in silence," Robert was saying. "I know that's what I've done for about an hour now. But this isn't easy."

Aaron was mystified. Who could Robert be talking to? And why was he meeting them here?

"Ok, here it is. I'm in love. I'm in love with this fantastic… person. Well, this fantastic guy." Robert laughed self-consciously, and the sound made Aaron's heart leap with love. "Yep, he's a man. You know his family – he's a Dingle. I know! A Sugden and a Dingle – who'd ever think that would work?"

Aaron smiled to himself. Who, indeed?

"It's Aaron. He's – oh, he's amazing. He's the bravest, kindest, most loving person I've ever met. He's the most forgiving person I've ever met – you know I don't make good decisions, and I've hurt him more than most people. By rights, he should hate me. I hate myself when I think of some of the things I've done and said to him."

Aaron wanted to go right over and comfort him, to tell him again that none of that mattered, but he didn't want to interrupt. He couldn't hear the other person's voice, so presumably Robert was on the phone, but he still didn't want to burst in on this conversation that Robert had clearly been so keen to have privately.

"But he's forgiven me, and – believe it or not – I've changed. Not just for him, but for me – and for you, I think. It's not just *for* him, but I think it might just be *because* of him."

Looking at the ground, Aaron couldn't help but tear up a little at that. He felt a little bad for eavesdropping, but couldn't stop now.

"And," Robert continued, "yesterday he told me he loved me for the first time since we started dating. And I love him. It's wonderful. And Vic – of course – had to put her foot in it. She went and told everyone. She put it on Facebook – but of course, you wouldn't know what Facebook is."

Aaron wrinkled his nose in surprise. Who didn't know what Facebook was these days? Even Sandy had an account and kept trying to add Aaron as a friend – despite the number of times Aaron ignored it.

"But that doesn't matter," Robert went on. "The point is, everybody knows now, all at once. And I wanted you to know too. Silly, isn't it? But I couldn't bear the idea of everybody else in the world knowing how happy I am, and you not knowing."

It started to dawn on Aaron who Robert might be talking to.

"So, there you go, Dad. I'm the luckiest guy in the world. Oh, and I guess this isn't the sort of thing that sons say to dads, but… wow, he's sexy. So attractive I can hardly believe it when I look at him."

Aaron couldn't help himself then – he started laughing, even while he was still crying a little. After making that noise, he couldn't help walking over to Robert – who was sat on the ground, next to his father's grave. He looked a bit surprised and embarrassed.

"Aaron – I wasn't…"

But Aaron didn't let him get any further. He sat down next to Robert, and firmly kissed him. Then he rested his head on Robert's shoulder, arms around his knees, and both of them realised that, for the moment at least, neither of them needed to talk. All was well.


	6. Chapter 6

Aaron was noisily eating his cereal by the time Robert came downstairs. They'd spent the previous night watching a film together, curled up on the sofa, and not saying very much. It was the perfect way to spend an evening together, contented and sure of each other. Aaron hadn't really commented on how he'd found Robert talking to his father's grave, because he didn't want to embarrass Robert – but he was deeply touched. More moved than he felt able to express. And Robert, in turn, was wary of the topic of fathers altogether. But Aaron lying on Robert's chest while they watched a film had told each of them all they needed to know.

"Morning A," said Robert, rubbing his eyes. "You're up early."

"Mmm," said Aaron, mouth full – remembering that his boyfriend wasn't keen on him talking while chewing. He quickly swallowed. "Yep – I'm heading into Robblesfield to pick up some scrap."

Robert sat down next to him, feeling too sleepy to choose what he wanted for breakfast. "Shall I come with?"

"Nah, you're alright – you're supposed to be making it up to Vic for worrying her yesterday, remember?"

"Oh, that's right. She didn't half bend my ear about that. Sisters, huh?"

"So I'm finding!" said Aaron, getting up and putting his bowl in the sink. He swung his jacket on, gave Robert a quick kiss, and headed for the door. "See you later? Tea in the pub, your treat?"

Robert laughed, and watched Aaron head off. He was quickly replaced in the doorway by Adam.

"Hi and bye," he called to Aaron. "See you at the scrapyard later! Oh, and hi Robert."

Robert nodded a greeting, and decided to make himself some toast – and, more importantly, a cup of coffee. Before long, Robert and Adam were sat down at the kitchen table together. Almost immediately an awkward silence descended. Robert realised that they had actually never spent time together, just the two of them. There had always been the buffer of Aaron, or Victoria, or both.

"Vic coming down soon?" he asked.

"Nah," said Adam, chewing his toast, "She had to head off early to meet with a supplier. Oh, she said to remind you to meet for dinner today, though. Something about castrating you if you didn't turn up, if I remember correctly."

Robert laughed, but the sort of laugh that dies out halfway, and makes the ensuing silence all the more obvious. They sat for a while, both obviously at a loss for what to say next.

"How's Liv?" said Adam, eventually.

"What? Oh, Liv," said Robert. "Yeah, she's fine. Well, constantly mithering about some teacher who's annoying her or some girl who's given her a dodgy look or something." This was better. He had something to talk about. "She's great really, but I feel too young to suddenly become some sort of stepfather. Be grateful that you're not a father, mate."

Robert had thought they'd got over the awkwardness of not having Aaron or Victoria there, but apparently not. Because not long afterwards, Adam left – and Robert could sense that there was some cloud between them. But he couldn't work out what.

"Maybe I'm imagining it," he thought to himself, pouring another cup of coffee. "It's probably nothing."

Robert was typing on his laptop in the kitchen when his phone started ringing. His face lit up when he realised it wasn't a business call; it was Aaron. He relished speaking to clients a lot of the time, and felt entirely comfortable putting on a professional persona, but it was nicer to slip into the real Robert – the Robert he had only truly discovered when he was alone with Aaron and didn't need to pretend to be anything at all.

"Heya, A," he said, "How was Robblesfield?"

"Fine," said Aaron shortly. "You ok?"

"Yep, yep – just going over some spreadsheets."

"Right."

Robert's smiling face started to look more concerned. He had got better at reading Aaron's tone, but tended to rely on looking at his expressions at the same time.

"Is everything ok, Aaron?"

Aaron didn't answer immediately. Robert was surprised to discover that he was holding his breath. He was still getting used to caring this deeply about somebody else's feelings, and wanting to make sure that nothing and nobody hurt his Aaron, despite Aaron being so horribly hurtable.

"Look, Adam made me promise not to call you, but I had to," Aaron said in a rush. "He's been moping and quiet all morning, and I finally badgered it out of him."

"Why, what's up?" Robert couldn't work out at all what was going on.

"Did you say anything to him this morning about being a father? About how he should be grateful he wasn't a dad?"

"Yeah… yeah, I think I said something like that."

"Robert!" Aaron sounded angry and frustrated at the same time. "What were you thinking? You know he's still all cut up about Johnny."

"F—k," muttered Robert – his mistake had dawned on him even as Aaron was speaking. "I honestly wasn't thinking about that. I wasn't thinking at all."

"Why – " said Aaron, "I mean, what – I mean, don't you care about hurting Adam?"

"I honestly didn't mean to, A."

"He's my best friend, he's your brother-in-law," went on Aaron, as though he hadn't heard Robert. "It wouldn't hurt you to be a bit more thoughtful."

Robert hated this. He hated when Aaron shouted at him – not for his own sake, really, but because it meant that Aaron was upset, and that was torture to Robert. Worse, of course, when he was the one who caused it. And he seemed to keep causing it, no matter how often he tried not to.

"Understood," he said. "I'll talk to Adam – I'll explain. I'll – I'll apologise."

There was a pause. Aaron seemed a bit surprised.

"Yeah? I think that would be good."

Encouraged, Robert quickly went on.

"Of course. I don't want him to think I was deliberately having a go." That sounded a bit like he was trying to save his own skin, so he rephrased. "I want to make sure he's ok."

"Yeah?"

"Well, yeah. He's important to you so he's important to me."

Mollified, Aaron ended the phone call. Robert got the sense that Aaron had phoned, prepared to be in an argument with an unrepentant Robert – and it felt good to show how willing he was to make amends. The old Robert wouldn't have done that, not unless there was something in it for him. And this time he wanted to apologise simply because he realised he'd done the wrong thing, albeit inadvertently. That felt good too. Knowing that Aaron had helped change him for the better.

It was a couple of hours later that Aaron and Adam walked into the house together.

"Oh, hi," said Adam, turning around to leave the room when he saw Robert.

"Wait," said Robert – and, over Adam's shoulder, Aaron's face was showing encouragement. "I wanted to apologise for earlier. I wasn't thinking when I said that stuff about being a dad. I'm really sorry."

Adam looked a bit stunned, while Aaron nodded at Robert with his traditional upturned mouth.

"You'd be a great dad, like Vic would make a great mum. And I hope you know you've got a favourite uncle on standby."

"Andy might have a thing to say about the top place," said Adam, looking visibly more relaxed. "Not to mention Finn, Ross, and Pete."

"And me," put in Aaron, leaning forward. "Do I count?"

"Definitely," grinned Adam. He turned back to Robert. "Seriously though, mate, I appreciate you saying that."

"I really am sorry," said Robert, and his voice and face looked, and were, completely genuine.

Adam gave him a light slap on the arm. "Don't mention it, mate." He smiled at them both, and went to leave the room. "You guys are good for each other, you know that?" He smiled again and ran up the stairs.

"Yeah, I reckon I do know that," said Aaron, walking towards his boyfriend.

"Forgiven?" said Robert sheepishly, looking so vulnerable that Aaron had an impulse to grab him and hug him and kiss him.

"Forgiven," said Aaron – doing, in fact, all three of those things. "In case I hadn't mentioned it," he whispered in Robert's ear, "I love you."

"Even when I'm a complete idiot?"

"Even then." They held each other in the middle of the kitchen, deeply happy.


	7. Chapter 7

"Can I borrow some clothes?" said Robert, standing naked in the middle of Aaron's bedroom, being watched appreciatively by his boyfriend. "I don't want to put on a suit today."

Aaron smirked, remembering how that suit has come off the night before. He hoped that it hadn't ripped, because it was doubtless very expensive.

"Nah," he said, "I don't think you should wear clothes today at all."

"Ha, ha," said Robert, giving him a reproving glance and opening his wardrobe. "Can I just borrow anything?"

"Sure," said Aaron, turning over and pulling the duvet over himself. "Just let me sleep for a bit longer. I'm still exhausted after yesterday."

"I bet!" Robert laughed, pulling on a pair of Aaron's boxers.

"I meant all the work I did, Suggers," Aaron mumbled into the pillow. "We can't all sit at a desk and look pretty."

"You think I look pretty?" Robert made a silly pose in the underwear, and Aaron threw a pillow at him. "Is it weird that I find it really sexy that I'm wearing your boxer shorts?"

Aaron just raised his eyebrows, and made it clear that Robert wasn't alone in that feeling.

Robert's face suddenly wrinkled up in mock concern. "Your mum didn't buy these, did she? That would really kill the mood."

"No she bloody didn't," laughed Aaron, throwing another pillow at him. "And I'm running out of stuff to chuck at you, so shut up."

Robert turned back to rummaging through Aaron's clothes. His wardrobe was certainly not kept in precise order – or even a decent level of tidiness. It was a stark contrast to the well-organised sections of Robert's wardrobe. He even kept his suits and shirts in the order of the colour spectrum. Not that there was much of a spectrum to choose from in Aaron's clothes.

"Do you own anything other than grey hoodies?"

"Do you… no, I'm too tired to think of anything funny," Aaron pulled one of the two remaining pillows over his head, and mumbled from beneath it: "Just put on anything, or better yet – put on nothing and get back in bed."

"We should both get up," said Robert regretfully. "You promised Liv we'd have breakfast with her." She really did seem to know how to wrap Aaron around her little finger, and breaking a promise wasn't worth the inevitable aggro that would follow.

Robert took the least-crumpled hoody and pulled it over his head, along with some jeans that looked like they might be a bit long on Aaron. The hoody was a little tight and the hem came a few millimetres above the waist of the jeans. You could just see the top of his – well, Aaron's – underwear, and the tiniest sliver of skin. Usually he forgot that he was noticeably taller than Aaron; Aaron had such a powerful presence in a room, particularly to Robert, that it was difficult to imagine him as lesser than anybody else for a moment. But the act of putting on Aaron's clothes was a bit of a revelation on that front.

"I feel like I've just had a growth spurt," said Robert. "This takes me back to high school and suddenly realising the shirt doesn't fit anymore."

Aaron came out from under the pillow and immediately sniggered.

"You look great, Suggers."

Robert held out his arms in front of him, inadvertently making a pose like a zombie. A zombie wearing a hoody that exposed his wrists and then some.

"Look at these sleeves! I feel ridiculous."

"You look hot," said Aaron, raising his eyebrows. Robert rolled his eyes in return.

"No, seriously," Aaron said in response, leaping out of bed with unexpected energy, and standing in front of Robert with his hands on Robert's waist, as though inspecting him. "I'm not saying I don't like the suits, but there's something quite nice about seeing my man all dressed up in my clothes." He gave Robert a kiss, then started to get dressed himself.

Downstairs, Liv was already waiting for them at the breakfast table.

"Took your time," she said flatly, but gave a small smile to show she wasn't actually cross. She was so like Aaron sometimes, Robert thought.

They walked over to the table together, Robert feeling oddly self-conscious. It was strange that he could walk into a business meeting in a boldly coloured suit, in a room of men and women all in black and navy, and not feel at all out of place. In that situation, he felt confident and in charge. But somehow, putting on a hoody and jeans felt like a departure from the uniforms he understood. Especially when they were noticeably too small.

"In case you're wondering, yes, these are Aaron's," said Robert, once they'd all started eating.

"How would I know what Aaron's clothes look like?" said Liv, evidently not at all interested. Aaron shot her an approving and amused look.

"Well, they're not likely to be mine, are they?" said Robert; Liv only shrugged in response. "I mean, look! They don't fit." He stuck out his arms again.

Liv looked at him as though incredulous that he could still be talking on this topics: "Well, I don't know. I thought maybe you always dressed like that."

"Always dressed like that?" repeated Robert, shaking his head. "But – "

"Let it go, Suggers," said Aaron, leaning over and rubbing his thigh. "Liv is hardly – erm – nah, I was trying to think of a fashion designer, but I don't know any."

"George for Asda?" said Robert sarcastically, but the joke was apparently lost on both of them. "Right, that's it," he added after a pause. "We're going shopping."

"For what?" said Aaron, wrinkling his nose.

"Clothes, of course!"

"Nah."

Aaron appeared to think the conversation was over, but Robert wasn't going to give up so easily.

"C'mon. It'll be fun!"

"I've got other things to do," said Aaron, "Like pretty much anything but that."

"It is a bit stereotypical, isn't it?" put in Liv, "Boyfriends going clothes shopping together, I mean."

Aaron waves his cereal spoon at her, indicating that her words could be taken as evidence in whatever debate they were having.

"Hardly," said Robert, "and you're getting milk all over the table, Aaron."

Aaron pulled the sleeve down over his hand and used it to wipe up the spots of milk that had fallen – causing Robert to slump back in his chair in exaggerated despair.

"Right, that's it," he said firmly. "We're going. No arguments."

"Oh for goodness' sake, fine," said Aaron. "But you definitely owe me."

They exchanged a look that suggested more would have been said on the topic of owing if Aaron's kid sister hadn't been present, and both gave almost identical naughty grins to each other.

"Well, if we're going, we're going," said Aaron. "Wanna be dropped at Gabby's, Liv?"

"Sure," she said, in a bored tone.

"Such gratitude," said Robert, standing up. "It's really touching to see. Go and grab your things and we'll head off in a minute."

Liv shrugged and headed up the stairs; once she was out the room, Aaron came over to Robert and stood in front of him, close, so that their bodies almost met.

"All this talk of touching and grabbing," murmured Aaron, "You sure you don't want to postpone this trip?"

Robert was evidently tempted, but also not one to give up a plan once it was in motion.

"Save that thought for later," he said, putting his hands on Aaron's butt and pulling him in even closer. "Oh, and remind me to pick up some more underwear for myself while we're picking clothes out for you."

Aaron smiled wickedly. "Absolutely not," he said, putting his own hands on Robert's bum in return. Both pulling the other in, they met in the middle with a kiss – broken only by the sound of Liv returning to the room and loudly asking if they were quite finished and ready to leave.


	8. Chapter 8

"I can't believe you got me to do this," said Aaron.

"I can't believe I'm still wearing your hoody," said Robert.

They were standing at the top of the stairs, looking out over the floor of a clothes shop that Aaron had never even known was there. He was used to shopping (on the rare occasions that he did) in places that were filled with people, racks of clothing, piles of jumpers and jeans on different surfaces, all in a mix with prominent price labels on them. Here, the tables were spread out, and each one only seemed to have a few items on it. There couldn't have been more than a dozen people in the room, and half of them worked here. Mannequins in suits outnumbered the humans three to one, and Aaron had a passing envy for them. So, this was where Robert got his clothes.

"We don't exactly look like we belong here," admitted Aaron. "Are you sure about this?"

"I come here all the time," Robert said confidently. "They'll just assume that all my shirts are in the wash, or something."

Aaron nodded reluctantly, hands stuck in the pockets of his hoodie.

"If you hate the hoody so much," he said, pretending to sulk, "Why don't you just take it off?"

Robert looked a little embarrassed, and wouldn't catch Aaron's eye. He mumbled something.

"What?" said Aaron, beginning to enjoy himself.

"I forgot to put anything on underneath," Robert hissed to him.

A grin spread across Aaron's face.

"So, you mean… I could just…" he reached up and pulled at the zipper a little. Robert quickly batted his hand away.

"Behave, A!" Robert said, though he couldn't help laughing too. Aaron looked at him warmly, his eyes – always so expressive – showing just how much he loved Robert. Enough to come with him to this shop, which was so out of his comfort zone.

"C'mon," said Robert, rolling up his sleeves and walking over to a display. "We need to get you a few shirts first, I think."

Aaron walked after him, hands still in pockets.

"I don't see why I have to get anything at all, Suggers."

Robert turned to him "We went over this," he said, "I don't want to change you. But I do want you to have something to wear when we go out to dinner that isn't the suit you wear to funerals."

"You sound like my Mum," said Aaron, rolling his eyes.

"Well, get that out of your head," said Robert, a cheeky grin on his face. "That's exactly the opposite of what I want you to think in about two hours when we're back home and clothes are the last thing on our minds. Or on anything else."

Aaron grinned, his mind running away with him. If all that stood between him and that was a few shirts, then he'd put up with it.

"Can I help sirs?" said a shop assistant who'd suddenly appeared by them. He was dressed in a close-fitting suit and waistcoat, which showed off his lean figure, and had dark curly hair and a little stubble. He was also, Aaron and Robert couldn't help noticing, rather good looking. Probably in his late twenties.

"We're just looking," said Robert, entirely in his element.

"Aren't we all?" said the assistant, his eyes clearly lingering a little as they went up and down Robert – whose face turned slightly pink at the obvious attention.

"I'm picking something out for my boyfriend," said Robert firmly, inclining his head towards Aaron. Aaron, in turn, nodded at the shop assistant.

"Excellent," said the assistant, apparently entirely unabashed. "Did you have anything in mind?"

Aaron looked blank, and hoped Robert would say something. Which, thankfully, he immediately did.

"Something smart but not a dress shirt," he said, "With button cuffs, and perhaps a little tapered."

Aaron looked blank. "Er, yeah," he put in – going so far as to remove his hands from his pockets. Once he'd done that, though, he couldn't think of any way to hold them that wasn't awkward – so he put them back in his pockets again. "What he said."

"What he said," repeated the shop assistant slowly, openly looking at Robert's lips. Robert coughed slightly and looked down at the floor and then at the mannequins. Aaron watched his embarrassment, a little perplexed.

"A range of colours," said Robert, "But plain, I think, not patterned. Maybe a check if it's subtle. Medium. Collar is a 16." Robert had somehow known that just from looking at Aaron, though Aaron had never even thought to find out what size his neck was – and was rather surprised that anybody knew.

"I'll be right back," said the shop assistant. "Don't go anywhere!"

"Mm," said Robert shortly – in a quite unfriendly manner, Aaron thought.

Aaron watched the shop assistant him as he walked to the stock room, though Robert was determinedly looking at the lining of a jacket on a mannequin. The assistant undoubtedly had a nice body, and Aaron quite enjoyed watching it walk away. The snug trousers definitely did nothing but accentuate the view. But he couldn't waste time on that; he wanted to speak to Robert quickly.

"What's going on, Suggers?" he said in a low voice.

"What?" Robert dropped the sleeve he'd been minutely inspecting and looked rather agitated.

"Don't give me 'what'," said Aaron. "That shop assistant and his flirting."

"I swear I'm not encouraging it!" said Robert, "I haven't ever seen him before, and I'm not saying anything back." He looked so like a boy who'd been accused of somebody else's misdemeanour that Aaron wanted to reach out and give him a reassuring hug.

"But that's exactly my point!" Aaron said, a little louder.

Robert looked confused, and was clearly stopped in the tracks of whatever he was going to say.

"What do you mean, A?"

"You're not flirting at all – and you *always* flirt."

Robert didn't look any less confused. Aaron shrugged: "Not me – I'm hopeless at all that kind of thing. But you flirt with everybody – man, woman, young, old. You usually can't help it. I've seen you do it for years."

"But – "

"Robert," said Aaron seriously, looking at him intently. "I trust you. I – " He lowered his voice a fraction. "I love you. And I don't want you to change – well, not everything. Flirting is fine. I quite like watching it – 'cos I know it's me you're going to go home with."

Robert now looked a mixture of bewildered and delighted. It made Aaron want to laugh, but he settled for a grin that spread slowly up his face.

"As long," he added, eyebrows raised in mock warning, "as it's nothing more than flirting."

Robert raised his palms, as though defending himself. "Never!" He dropped them, and matched Aaron's serious tone. "Honestly, A. Never."

They didn't kiss, but both realised they were rocking slightly on their feet, in sync with one another. It was their way of showing closeness in public, and both could feel the electricity of it.

"I'm back!" said the assistant, holding three or four shirts on hangers in front of him.

"I missed you," said Robert, his flirty tone sweeping back into place. "Don't leave a boy waiting so long next time." He darted his eyes back to Aaron – who had a smile across his face. "But – even in the short time you were gone, I learned a thing or two about not trying to change things about your boyfriend."

Aaron's eyebrows rose slowly.

"So – many thanks – but I don't think we'll be needing to buy any shirts today." Robert pulled Aaron by the arm, shot the assistant an apologetic grin, and the two of them headed back to the stairs together.


	9. Chapter 9

"Camping?" said Robert incredulously.

"It'll be fun!" laughed Adam, who was clearly enjoying Robert's reaction. Aaron was too, by the look of the broad grin on his face, as he and Adam exchanged amused glances. "You, Aaron, me, Vic, two tents – what could be better?"

Robert held up his palm, with each finger separated. "Count 'em," he said, "Five stars. That's what."

"They'll be millions of stars," said Aaron, "All you have to do is look up."

"Oh, ha ha," said Robert, grimacing at Aaron. But he couldn't help grinning back at the happy face opposite him. And he knew that he wouldn't be able to say no to anything Aaron asked him – not if it meant keeping that smile on Aaron's face. The curious thing about falling in love with Aaron when he was so miserable and anxious, during the trial, was that every day that they were happy felt like an unbelievable gift. And those days were the norm now, he was pleased to say. Just sitting here, in the backroom of the pub where once he'd have been turfed out instantly, felt so natural and right. It felt like home.

"C'mon lad," said Adam, "Vic is excited about it." It was the first time that Adam had called Robert 'lad', as Robert immediately realised. He didn't want to make a big deal about it, but it was wonderful to hear. Perhaps he was truly being accepted by the people that Aaron loved. Even Chas now called him 'love' occasionally, even if that was offset by the number of times she made smiling remarks about wishing he'd fall down a well or something.

But the look Aaron gave Robert then showed Robert that he hadn't been alone in noticing the 'lad'. Aaron looked so happy.

"Vic has always loved all sorts of horrendous things," said Robert.

"Like you!" said Aaron to Adam, elbowing him in the rubs.

"Stop it, you! You're supposed to be helping me convince Robert."

Aaron laughed and rolled his eyes, then pretended to get all serious.

"Go on, Suggers." He leant his head forward but kept his eyes locked on Robert, making a pretence of pleading. "Please? I'll owe you." And he winked at Robert.

"Enough of that, thanks!" Adam hit Aaron with the back of his hand – and Aaron did the same to Adam in response. Soon they were playfully smacking each other, while Robert looked on with a resigned grin. He didn't want to forget that 'owing' though. That would be worth keeping in the bank. Or maybe even in a tent.

"I leave the room for ten minutes and this is what happens!" squawked Victoria, coming into the room and slapping both Aaron and Adam on the back of their heads. They stopped and rubbed their heads, exaggerating how much she'd wounded them. "Have you persuaded him, then?"

"Are you really up for this, Vic?" said Robert.

"Are you kidding me? A tent in the middle of nowhere, baked beans over a bonfire, these idiots probably putting a tent together upside down – what's not to love?"

"Oi!" said Adam. "I've been camping loads of times."

"And how many times has the tent blown away?"

"That was one time!"

Victoria sighed, kissed Adam on the side of the face, rubbed Aaron's hair – getting a scowl in response – and headed back to the kitchen. She stopped in the doorway. "Well, you'll have to make your mind up soon, Rob, 'cos we're going in about half an hour. Mm'kay?" She flashed him a big sisterly smile, and vanished.

"Half an hour?!"

"I've packed you a bag," said Aaron, sounding a little bit guilty. Then he looked more intently at Robert. "I thought we could share underwear again."

"Ah, mate!" protested Adam, but Robert felt a thrill go through him. He loved that they could joke about this in front of their friends.

"Oh, fine," he relented. "But I'm not eating baked beans out of a saucepan for anybody."

"Hark at him," said Aaron, nodding towards Robert. "Too fancy for beans in a pan!" He leant over and put his hand on Robert's knee. "Seriously, though, Robert – thanks. It'll be fun, promise."

"Maybe there are worse things than sharing a tent with you. Now, go and pack the car, if we're going so soon."

Aaron patted him on the knee and got up to leave – stopping at the door to nod gratefully at Robert. He looked like he might be about to say something, but obviously decided against it. He nodded again, and Robert watched him leave with a big, wide-open smile."

When Aaron was safely out of earshot, Robert spoke in a lower voice to Adam. "Do you think it worked?"

"Yeah, mate," said Adam, "I don't think he had a clue this was all your idea."

Putting up tents was every bit as calamitous as they'd anticipated. Victoria and Adam kept breaking off to make out with each other, occasionally falling to the ground – supposedly because they'd tripped over tent pegs but, Aaron suspected, entirely deliberately. More than once they'd ended up under a collapsed canvas without any obvious intention of emerging.

He and Robert hasn't fared much better. Robert was holding the instructions that came with the tent, and every now and then would turn them upside down and try again. Aaron rested his chin on Robert's shoulder – which required standing on tip-toes – and looked at the diagrams.

"Can't we just wing it?" he asked, feeling his jaw press into Robert's shoulder with every syllable he spoke. He kept his hands in his pockets, but was pressing his upper body against Robert's back and feeling his warmth. It felt intimate without being inappropriate. Not that Vic and Adam seemed particularly bothered by boundaries right now.

"No, A, we can't just wing it," said Robert. He nodded towards the collapsed canvas. "Look how that's worked out for those idiots."

"Well, what's this?" Aaron pointed at one of the pictures, looping his arm under Robert's to do so.

"Erm…" Robert frowned, and turned the paper over again.

"It doesn't look like anything we've got."

"No."

There was a pause while Robert tried again to work out what was going on with the diagrams – and Aaron distracted him by kissing his neck, emboldened by Vic and Adam being immersed in green fabric.

"Well – "

"Yes, Suggers?" 

"I've got an idea."

"Uhm-hm?"

Suddenly Robert screwed the instructions up into a ball. "Let's wing it!" he said.

And somehow, winging it had eventually worked. Though it certainly had not been speedy. It was getting dark before they were halfway through, and by the time the final tent peg had been knocked into the ground, and the final guy rope secured, it was almost completely dark. They were in a field, in the middle of nowhere, just the four of them. Their tents were a few metres apart – so as not to make any nocturnal adventures too noisy to the people in the other tent; nobody had mentioned that that was the reason, but Vic and Robert had exchanged a look that clearly said "I don't want to hear anything at all from your tent tonight" – and had marched their kit a few paces further away from each other.

Oddly exhausted, Aaron and Robert in fact hadn't done anything other than kiss for a while. It wasn't the most practical place for anything more, they realised – but snuggling together in separate sleeping bags was still unexpectedly enjoyable. Just feeling the warmth of each other, with the cold night sky outside, only a layer or two of canvas between them and the stars, was bliss. Neither of them were romantic people usually, but this felt special – like only they existed in the whole world.

Robert put his arm around Aaron, and Aaron settled in the crook of Robert's arm.

"I love you, Suggers," murmured Aaron – partly for the pleasure of being able to say it.

"And I love you, A," Robert murmured back. "So much."

Finally, love was something that meat happiness and warmth – not angst or uncertainty or distrust.

Aaron went to sleep, contentedly, with Robert seemingly on all sides of him.

But – two or three hours later, when Aaron woke up, he could instantly feel something was wrong. It was the temperature, perhaps. Where Robert's warm body had been, there was now only the coldness of the night air fighting its way through the canvas.

"Robert?" he said softly – though he obviously wasn't in the tent. Aaron rubbed his eyes, feeling a bit disorientated, shaking his head to wake himself up a bit. Then he realised something else that was wrong: it was clearly the middle of the night, but it was strangely light outside the tent. A flickering light.

Pulling on a hoody, Aaron struggled out of his sleeping bag. He wasn't quite panicking, but he wanted to make sure what was going on. And he wanted his Robert.

He unzipped the tent, and let his eyes get accustomed to the light outside. For somebody had lit a bonfire, which was dancing and crackling between the two tents. And standing next to it, he realised, was Adam and Vic – Adam's arm around Vic's shoulders, and a silly beam on Victoria's face. "Hi!" she mouthed, stretching her mouth into an even sillier grin. Adam made a thumbs-up sign with the arm that wasn't around Victoria.

Aaron looked away from them to the other side of the bonfire. And what he saw there made him catch his breath.

There was Robert. On one knee. A nervous look in his eyes and an equally nervous smile on his face. He was holding up an open box which had a chunky silver watch in it.

"I didn't think you'd want a ring," Robert said. "But I thought this would work instead."

"You haven't actually asked him, you idiot!" called Victoria.

"Dammit!" laughed Robert. "Yes – yes. Aaron Dingle – you're the best man I've ever met, and I love you more than – I dunno – more than – "

"Gilets?" suggested Adam.

"I knew I shouldn't have brought them!" said Robert. "I love you more than anything, A. Will you marry me? I mean, you'd better now, because I've ruined these trousers."

Laughing, crying, nodding, Aaron knelt down too, took Robert's face in his hands, and kissed him deeply. That was all the answer that Robert was able to get through Aaron's happy sobs, but it was all the answer he needed.


End file.
